Woodbine Mohawk Park: 'Captains' carry on sire's legacy in NA Cup, Fan Hanover

After his first crop led the way in 2-year-old earnings during the 2018 season, Captaintreacherous and his court of talented youngsters appear poised for more success in 2019 following last weekend's elimination races for the Pepsi North America Cup and Fan Hanover at Woodbine Mohawk Park.

Captaintreacherous was represented in last Saturday’s eliminations north of the border by six 3-year-olds: De Los Cielos Deo, Captain Crunch, Workin Ona Mystery and Captain Victorious in the North America Cup, and Treacherous Reign and Tall Drink Hanover in the Fan Hanover. All half-dozen moved on to this Saturday night's rich finals. Just the fact that they all advanced, given the depth of the pacing crop, would have been noteworthy enough, but two of them (Workin Ona Mystery and Treacherous Reign) also won their eliminations, and it was a “Captain exacta” in the Workin Ona Mystery elim as Captain Victorious was the runner-up. All in all, it was certainly another feather in the cap for the Hanover Shoe Farms-based 9-year-old stallion by the late Somebeachsomewhere.

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"We're, of course, very proud of what Captaintreacherous has done so far," said Tony Alagna, who trained Captaintreacherous during his racing career and now has many of his talented offspring, including Treacherous Reign and Tall Drink Hanover. "We had a lot of faith in the horse, and we supported him very strongly. We're glad to see the success he's having.

"I wish one of our colts was able to get up there and be at their best for the final, but since we're not, I'm glad that the horse is well-represented going into Saturday night."

A standout 2- and 3-year-old himself, Captaintreacherous counted the 2013 North America Cup among his 23 career triumphs, but Alagna explained that beyond his speed and stamina, he's passed a few other attributes on to his offspring that help them compete at the highest levels of the sport.

"I think the trainability," Alagna remarked when asked about what he likes about training ones by Captaintreacherous. "They're good gaited horses, and they've got a very good work ethic. They're also very forgiving. They're horses that can have something go wrong in a race, maybe get parked or end up first-over, and they kind of put it behind them and move on to the next race like it never happened. That I like about them a lot."

While Alagna didn't have a starter in the North America Cup this year, he is well-represented by the tandem of Treacherous Reign and Tall Drink Hanover in the C$454,000 Fan Hanover for sophomore pacing fillies, which will go as race 10 and precede the North America Cup.

Treacherous Reign, who won four times as a rookie, with three of those victories being Pennsylvania Sire Stakes legs, and then was second in the She's A Great Lady final at Woodbine Mohawk Park, overcame post 10 with alacrity in her elimination for driver Dexter Dunn. She brushed to the front in the second quarter and won in 1:50 flat, a lifetime mark. Tall Drink Hanover, who was a standout in Canada last year, taking the Whenuwishuponastar Series final, a division of the Eternal Camnation, and the She's A Great Lady before going to Lexington where she scored in 1:50, was a solid second in the other elimination, with her mile timed in 1:49 3/5, behind 1:49 1/5 victor Warrawee Ubeaut. Treacherous Reign is the 2-1 second choice on the morning line and will start from post three, and Tall Drink Hanover was tabbed as the third choice at 4-1 and will line up from the pole position.

"Treacherous Reign, she was a little tired at the end of the year," noted Alagna. "I probably raced her two starts too many, but we brought her back this year, and so far she's been great. Tall Drink Hanover, she's just been a really, really solid filly all the way through. Other than getting sick in the Breeders Crown final, she had a flawless year last year.”

While Tall Drink Hanover’s elimination effort was certainly nothing to be disappointed with, given the high speed and talent level of Warrawee Ubeaut, Alagna is hoping the filly might have a bit more punch in Saturday night’s final.

"Tall Drink Hanover scoped with some mucous (in her Fan Hanover elim), so we've been treating her this week,” he offered. “There's no disgrace finishing second to Warrawee Ubeaut, that's for sure, but hopefully we're that much better heading into the final this week."

And while certainly the eyes of the harness racing world will be at Woodbine Mohawk Park on Saturday night, the Captaintreacherous rookies for this year have started to surface at the Meadowlands, with impressive performances by filly Caviart Jane (trained by Nancy Johansson) and colts Its Showtime and Chief Mate (trained by Alagna) last Saturday, and Alagna said he will have another set out this Saturday morning in New Jersey.

"We baby raced two very nice Captain colts - a colt named Its Showtime won in 1:54 3/5, and a colt named Chief Mate won in 55,” Alagna stated. “We're planning on baby racing 12 this Saturday."

So, with a six-pack of contenders in the big pacing stakes for 3-year-olds up in Canada and another strong-looking group of freshmen coming in the pipeline, it looks like the Captain’s Court will be staying in session for some time to come.